While away at a funeral, I received two pieces of disturbing news. Sometimes we find ourselves feeling hemmed in, standing with our backs up against a wall. This feeling comes when the master plan we have for our lives crumbles or takes a drastic turn in direction. It is in these times when we have the most difficult time trying to maintain space for the Spirit in our heart and mind to surround, protect and direct us to keep our focus on the bright light that now seems more like a flickering flame. I believe that funerals were meant to celebrate the freed life of the Spirit. With the gifts attributed to that Spirit, the memories which affected our lives; we now have the privilege and responsibility of adding to our own gifts of the Spirit to carry forward and use to affect more lives, reigniting that flickering flame. When we receive news that perhaps means the death of some plan in our lives, let us remember that there is but one master plan designed to keep the flame of the Spirit burning brightly. It pierces the darkest of hours in order that we may see our selves through and frees us from the “mental entrapment” we’re experiencing and prepares us to receive a higher plan in our lives.

For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life (Ephesians 2:10).